Chapter 61: You've grown quite bold, haven't you? Trying to teach Us how to do Our job?

Not only the ministers failed to make sense of Zhang Xuansu’s sudden move, but Li Shimin was also completely baffled.

No one had expected that Zhang Xuansu, who looked so frail and delicate, could possess such an unyielding and fierce disposition.

Moments earlier, when Li Chengqian interceded on his behalf, Zhang Xuansu’s life could easily have been spared; yet instead, he stubbornly sought his own death. This drastic mindset left everyone in a state of panic. They never imagined Zhang Xuansu would take such a step, nor did they anticipate the unshakeable determination in his eyes.

At that moment, Zhang Xuansu’s gaze remained exceptionally calm, devoid of even a trace of fear. He had seen through the illusion of life and death entirely.

This was completely contrary to everyone’s expectations. Not just Li Shimin, but all present had miscalculated; none of them could foresee such a turn of events.

The Sage of the Great Tang Empire, Heavenly Qaghan Li Shimin, had already offered to spare his life, yet he chose to court death instead. Had he lost his mind? Unless there was something profoundly wrong with his brain, how could anyone make such a choice? It was simply beyond comprehension.

Li Shimin was equally stunned. Zhang Xuansu was bent on dying, purely to forge a lifelong reputation as a remonstrating minister at the expense of branding his sovereign a tyrant.

Small men fear the law, but great men fear history.

As the enforcer and author of the laws of the Great Tang Empire, Li Shimin naturally had no fear of the law, yet he was keenly aware of the formidable power of public opinion.

Let alone after he had passed away, if he were to truly execute Zhang Xuansu today, the court historians would undoubtedly document it with heavy strokes.

Even if the historians, intimidated by his imperial authority, were to temper their writing, the fundamental truth would still be recorded—a prospect intensely disadvantageous to Li Shimin.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin slowly regained his composure. He understood that he must exercise utmost caution at this juncture.

His flushed cheeks gradually returned to a state of reason and calm.

Using the corner of his eye, Li Chengqian caught sight of the internal struggle playing out within his convenient father and instantly understood.

Li Shimin was certainly unwilling to bear the infamous reputation of arbitrarily executing a minister; this was never Li Shimin’s true intention. He surely just wished to govern steadily as an emperor and foster the economic growth of the Great Tang Empire.

There was no earthly reason to kill this stubborn fool. Even the legendary Wei Zheng had once caused Li Shimin to gnash his teeth in hatred, yet in the end, Wei Zheng was never put to death. Compared to Wei Zheng, Zhang Xuansu fell far too short.

"Order me to grant you death? Why should I grant you death?" Li Shimin chuckled, turning back toward the dragon throne and slowly seating himself.

By now, Li Shimin’s expression had returned completely to normal, revealing no trace of disturbance.

Zhang Xuansu had already prepared himself to die, but as Li Shimin’s steady and resonant voice reached his ears, he was utterly taken aback. He had never imagined the Heavenly Qaghan could remain so cool-headed.

He had intended to use his death to cement his legacy as a loyal censor, but now Li Shimin refused to play along.

"Your Majesty is wise. Here is your treasured sword." Li Chengqian stepped forward a few paces, holding the sword aloft.

Wang德 hurriedly stepped forward, cautiously taking the weapon and presenting it to Li Shimin.

The bloodstains on the blade had already been meticulously wiped clean by Wang德.

At that moment, the imperial physicians also hurried over, rushing to Li Chengqian’s side to tend to his wound.

"Bandage it carefully! If any complications arise, I shall certainly not spare you!"

Li Shimin quickly descended from the throne, approaching Li Chengqian to inspect the injury.

Overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of the deep gash on his son’s hand, Li Shimin was struck by a wave of heavy self-reproach. "Chengqian, it is all your father's fault..."

"Father, this is not your fault. It is this child's destiny; I could not simply stand by and watch my mentor face peril," Li Chengqian said, cupping his hands toward Zhang Xuansu.

Li Chengqian had always revered his teachers—he did so in the past, he did so now, and he certainly would in the future.

meskipun Zhang Xuansu had been extremely strict with him, Li Chengqian understood that his mentor ultimately had his best interests at heart. Had Zhang Xuansu not wished to mold him properly, he could easily have wasted his days idling away in the Eastern Palace.

No matter what, he was determined to save his mentor Zhang Xuansu this time, which was why he acted with such fervent dedication.

Li Shimin perceived it all: Li Chengqian possessed a kind heart and profound respect for his teachers.

This was a matter of paramount importance to the Great Tang Empire. With a crown prince of such character, the future path of the empire would be smooth indeed.

With this thought, Li Shimin burst into hearty laughter. While watching the physician wrap Li Chengqian’s wound, he offered soothing words of comfort.

"Chengqian, rest assured; I know what must be done."

As he spoke, Li Shimin kept a fixed gaze on the physician attending to the wound.

In less than the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, the bandage on Li Chengqian's right hand was secured.

Only then did Li Shimin finally heave a sigh of relief. If any misfortune were to befall his Crown Prince, what would become of his railways and locomotives, and how would his grand vision for the future proceed?

The mere thought of this stirred Li Shimin deeply. He slowly rose and walked toward Zhang Xuansu.

At this moment, Zhang Xuansu was filled with trepidation, uncertain of what to do next.

Despite his earlier outbursts, he was actually quite skeptical about the future prospects of the locomotive, unsure whether Li Chengqian could truly bring it to fruition.

He harbored deep doubts, though he genuinely hoped it could be built; he merely clung to a lingering hope that the economy of the Great Tang might reach unprecedented heights.

Yet, he had simply been unwilling to shoulder the risk. When all was said and forth, he lacked faith in Li Chengqian’s ability to conjure such a marvel, and even less belief that it could ever become reality.

This was a common affliction among many officials of the Great Tang: they wished to occupy the moral high ground while stubbornly shrinking from responsibility.

"Your Majesty, should the railway project be temporarily suspended?" Zhang Xuansu’s tone had softened considerably, no longer daring to display arrogance.

Moreover, Li Chengqian’s actions just moments ago had genuinely shaken him. He had never expected the Crown Prince to suddenly interpose himself to rescue him at the critical moment—a development entirely outside his calculations.

"The railway project will proceed as planned. Nothing will change," Li Shimin commanded in a stern voice. He then took Li Chengqian by the arm, slowly walked back to the vicinity of the dragon throne, and motioned for Wang德 to bring another chair so that Li Chengqian could sit down.

"Lords, as I have said, this plan will not change; it shall be executed to the letter. Let the Crown Prince brief you on the specific blueprint." With that, Li Shimin seated himself right beside Li Chengqian.

At that moment, Li Shimin had made up his mind to throw his full weight behind Li Chengqian. Since they were determined to lay railways and build locomotives, growing pains were inevitable—that could not be avoided.

No matter how formidable the obstacles, Li Shimin would bear the pressure on Li Chengqian’s behalf. As the Heavenly Qaghan, he had to keep these court officials firmly in line.

By now, the gathered ministers were fully cognizant of Li Shimin’s stance. They finally understood that he was deadly serious; to support Li Chengqian, he was prepared to enact any decision necessary.

"Understood, Your Majesty." The ministers cupped their hands in unison, awaiting Li Shimin's further instructions.

At this juncture, anyone with a shred of intelligence understood the reality of the situation.

"Yes, Father. This son obeys." Li Chengqian saluted Li Shimin, then turned his gaze toward the officials assembled in the grand hall, his expression turning solemn.

"My esteemed ministers, the manufacturing process of this locomotive is complex, and it requires the construction of specialized tracks. Ordinary roads can never guarantee the safe operation of a train."

"You are right to say it requires considerable expenditure, but every single coin spent is well worth it. After pondering the matter just now, We have devised a compromise: from the capital of the Great Tang, Chang'an, to Xianyang, the distance is roughly thirty kilometers, or about sixty li."

"My intention is to construct this section of the route first and build a smaller locomotive, so that you may personally witness the tremendous transformation a train can bring."

Saying this, Li Chengqian raised his eyes to survey the ministers present.

Noticing that the assembly remained silent, Li Chengqian glanced at his mentor Zhang Xuansu and smiled faintly. "Mentor, is this arrangement appropriate? I have calculated the figures, and the total cost will come to around three hundred thousand guan. If the experimental results prove favorable, we may proceed further."

By now, Li Chengqian had a fair grasp of what the ministers were thinking: they wanted to spend as little money as possible while accomplishing grand tasks.

How could such a thing be possible? To demand that a horse run fast without providing it with grass—such a cost-free venture existed nowhere under heaven.

Zhang Xuansu had still been hesitating, but hearing Li Chengqian offer him a graceful way out, he realized the truth. Relying on his own strength alone, he could never turn the tide. Through the concerted cooperation of the Sovereign and the Crown Prince, the outcome was already sealed.

"Understood, Your Highness. This old minister will obey your command." Zhang Xuansu hurriedly cupped his hands in assent.

At this sight, the other ministers were utterly dumbfounded. Even Zhang Xuansu, the most unyielding of them all, had conceded. Whose head could possibly be harder than Zhang Xuansu's? Since even Zhang Xuansu had abandoned his resistance, what else was there for them to obstinately cling to?

In any case, the imperial treasury was managed by the Emperor himself. If the Emperor said it should be done, all they needed to do was obey the decree.

Furthermore, Li Chengqian had only requested around three hundred thousand strings of cash to conduct a trial.

Compared to the vast thirty-four million guan revenue of the Great Tang Empire, this expenditure was entirely negligible and thus acceptable.

Consequently, no one raised further objections, which amounted to a tacit endorsement of Li Chengqian's proposal.

"What are your thoughts on this?" Li Shimin pressed, following up immediately.

"Your ministers believe the Crown Prince's words are entirely reasonable," the officials replied in unison, bowing.

"Very well. Since you all support this, I now declare that we shall throw our utmost efforts behind the Crown Prince in building the railway and manufacturing the locomotive, so that the economy of the Great Tang Empire may undergo a radical transformation in the shortest possible time."

"Furthermore, I have another announcement to make: I intend to grant a general amnesty to the world."

This declaration instantly stirred a thousand ripples. The ministers stared widely at Li Shimin, utterly bewildered as to what was happening.

"Your Majesty, what is the rationale behind a general amnesty? Is Your Majesty attempting to use this opportunity to specially pardon the Prince of Qi?" Zhang Xuansu stepped forward once again.

This fellow truly possessed an iron head; he loved nothing more than sticking his neck out.

Furious, Li Shimin raised his head, let out a cold snort, and adopted a sharper tone. "Do I need your guidance on what I should do? Does the realm of the Great Tang belong to you, or to me? Am I the master of this house, or are you?"

Li Shimin fired off a volley of questions without ever answering Zhang Xuansu's inquiry.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward, and within the grand hall of the Taiji Palace, the air was thick with the scent of impending gunpowder...